“Goddess, I never thought I’d be happy to see that ugly wall again but here we are,” Hawkins said as he hopped out of the car and stretched. His joints popped and groaned after the long, bumpy ride from the wind farm.
“Stuff it Hawkins. You bitch every time you get a scratch and start whining for the hospital.” Wash grumbled, slamming the driver’s side door.
“You wanna go?” Hawkins challenged, ready to leap over the hood and sock him only to be pulled back harshly by his shirt collar.
“That’s enough you two. Save it for the next raid.” Davar glared at them both. Wash looked like he would lep next but another glare shut them both up. They muttered a few curses but settled down on opposite sides of the car to work. Hawkins started scrubbing down the car while Wash hooked up the solar panels.
“C’mon chief, you’re just as bored as the rest of us. Babysitting always sucks,” Hawkins said.
“Just because it’s boring doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary.”
Not that Davar enjoyed babysitting the wind farm either. He wasn’t sure anyone enjoyed being there. It was just a haphazard cluster of single-story dorms made of damp, lichen covered wood and 8 mild-severely rusted turbines. The engineers had nothing to do besides routine maintenance and the guards had nothing to do except dare each other to climb one of the broken turbines. No raiders had been spotted nearby for months though, nor any new settlements. They had nothing better to do then run around the outposts and twiddle their thumbs. He was long past stir crazy.
“Lt. Col. there’s a requisitions delivery here for you sir” a rookie said from the garage doorway.
“Hand it here,” Davar said, gesturing to the form.
“We getting shipped out again boss?” Hawkins asked, popping out from under the car. He was covered in wet clay and flecks of grass but he didn’t seem to notice or care. There was something red by his pants though and smelled like overripe meat.
“Don’t get excited. Just refilling supplies.”
“Buzz kill” Hawkins said before Davar kicked him back under the car. The trolley wheels made a wet squelch and Hawkins yelped.
“Did ya have to roll me into the roadkill?”
“The usual?” Wash asked, ignoring Hawkins.
“Yup. Some new armor for you and Gates and some more med and fertility kits.”
“Got any air fresheners coming in? Or laundry detergent?” Hawkins asked.
“Like they’d waste soap on your sorry ass,” Wash joked.
“Bet you $20 I could nab some from Taka’s office.”
“He’d skin you alive if you got caught,” Wash thought for a minute, “ok I’m in. I’ll let Dana know, she’ll bring snacks.”
“Alright where is it.” Davar asked, walking the quartermaster back towards the loading dock. The less he hears about bets, heists, and possible murder, the more he can deny later.
“Just this way. Got a squad and a couple folks from St. Vincent’s unloading it now.”
True to his words there was a 4-man squad outside the loading dock overseeing a small group unloading medical supplies from one of the carriages.
“Hey Yuengling! It’s been awhile,” Davar called out to the captain. He walked up to the other man and they both clapped each other on the shoulder.
“Well if it isn’t Davar. Still in red I see.”
“I see you got promoted. How’s high clearance security treating you?”
Yuengling shrugged, “Boring as hell but pays damn well let me tell you.”
Unlike normal police officers, Yuengling and his squad had white and green accents to their armor. They were among the few trusted to guard the temples, the Breeding Facility and the fertility tests stored in St. Vincent’s hospital.
“You ever think about switching sides?” Yuengling asked.
Davar laughed and shook his head. “If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me that…”
Davar was a bit of an anomaly. At his age and rank most switched to cushy police work instead of running around in the field like a fresh recruit. Spend time relaxing and finding a partner or two to mess around with, but sitting still never sat well with him. He needed an outlet, somewhere he could let off steam and smash a few heads in. He was already getting twitchy with patrol work, he didn’t even want to imagine how bad police work would be.
Yuengling laughed with him until he caught one of his men flirting with a hospital worker and embarrassing her enough she almost dropped a med kit. He scowled and smacked the younger man upside the head.
“Keep it in your pants Ines!”
Davar snorted, ‘Yueng must be getting soft’
The rest of the hospital staff chuckled at Ines expense but continued to work diligently; carefully stacking the crates of bandages, painkillers and fertility kits on the ground. All dressed in bleached suede and green patches for clearance. All except one.
“Hey!” Davar called out, stalking towards the carriage. “You with the patches! What are you doing here?”
The workers looked up startled. The one he shouted at dropped what she was carrying and looked around confused.
“I-do you mean me, sir?” She asked, pointing to herself.
“Yes you.” He said, grabbing her by the wrist.
“Ow! Sir-”
“What are you doing here? You’re not hospital staff.” He started tugging her away from the carriage.
“Sir wait I can explain!” Another woman shouted, grabbing the arm that held her friend.
Davar glared down at her. “Start talking. You’re breaking at least 6 security laws right now.” At this point everyone had stopped working. Yuengling started to walk over but Davar shot him a look that clearly said “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Sir, I’m so sorry, she’s a friend. She works at the tannery downtown and she had a delivery of armor to bring so I offered to pick her up on our way here and she was kind enough to help us unload. Please we didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“Name.” He asked sharply to the woman in his grasp.
“J-Jess Vannar sir.”
“Wash,” he said, not breaking eye-contact with the woman. By this point everyone in hearing range had come over to investigate, including his squad.
“Yes sir.”
“Background check.”
“Checks out sir,” the quartermaster from earlier said, before Wash even made it to the door. “Jess Vannar, 24 years old. Finished an apprenticeship at Ingle’s Tannery instead of trade school in ‘68. Clean record, pays her taxes on time, no disciplinary actions. Been delivering armor for 5 years.”
“Are you vouching for her Corporal?” He asked, turning slowly to the quartermaster. The boy straightened to attention under his gaze but maintained eye-contact.
“Yes sir.”
The hospital workers darted looks between the two nervously. They fidgeted with their tunics. The boy kept his back straight and head high, even as he saw Wash and Hawkins move in a bit closer, hands palming hidden weapons. The security team hung back at a sharp wave from Yuengling. This wasn’t their situation anymore and they wouldn’t interfere. Davar finally let go of the woman and all but tossed her at her friend.
“You’re very lucky Ms. Vannar,” he said, “see to it I don’t catch you with classified resources again.”
“Stuff it Hawkins. You bitch every time you get a scratch and start whining for the hospital.” Wash grumbled, slamming the driver’s side door.
“You wanna go?” Hawkins challenged, ready to leap over the hood and sock him only to be pulled back harshly by his shirt collar.
“That’s enough you two. Save it for the next raid.” Davar glared at them both. Wash looked like he would lep next but another glare shut them both up. They muttered a few curses but settled down on opposite sides of the car to work. Hawkins started scrubbing down the car while Wash hooked up the solar panels.
“C’mon chief, you’re just as bored as the rest of us. Babysitting always sucks,” Hawkins said.
“Just because it’s boring doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary.”
Not that Davar enjoyed babysitting the wind farm either. He wasn’t sure anyone enjoyed being there. It was just a haphazard cluster of single-story dorms made of damp, lichen covered wood and 8 mild-severely rusted turbines. The engineers had nothing to do besides routine maintenance and the guards had nothing to do except dare each other to climb one of the broken turbines. No raiders had been spotted nearby for months though, nor any new settlements. They had nothing better to do then run around the outposts and twiddle their thumbs. He was long past stir crazy.
“Lt. Col. there’s a requisitions delivery here for you sir” a rookie said from the garage doorway.
“Hand it here,” Davar said, gesturing to the form.
“We getting shipped out again boss?” Hawkins asked, popping out from under the car. He was covered in wet clay and flecks of grass but he didn’t seem to notice or care. There was something red by his pants though and smelled like overripe meat.
“Don’t get excited. Just refilling supplies.”
“Buzz kill” Hawkins said before Davar kicked him back under the car. The trolley wheels made a wet squelch and Hawkins yelped.
“Did ya have to roll me into the roadkill?”
“The usual?” Wash asked, ignoring Hawkins.
“Yup. Some new armor for you and Gates and some more med and fertility kits.”
“Got any air fresheners coming in? Or laundry detergent?” Hawkins asked.
“Like they’d waste soap on your sorry ass,” Wash joked.
“Bet you $20 I could nab some from Taka’s office.”
“He’d skin you alive if you got caught,” Wash thought for a minute, “ok I’m in. I’ll let Dana know, she’ll bring snacks.”
“Alright where is it.” Davar asked, walking the quartermaster back towards the loading dock. The less he hears about bets, heists, and possible murder, the more he can deny later.
“Just this way. Got a squad and a couple folks from St. Vincent’s unloading it now.”
True to his words there was a 4-man squad outside the loading dock overseeing a small group unloading medical supplies from one of the carriages.
“Hey Yuengling! It’s been awhile,” Davar called out to the captain. He walked up to the other man and they both clapped each other on the shoulder.
“Well if it isn’t Davar. Still in red I see.”
“I see you got promoted. How’s high clearance security treating you?”
Yuengling shrugged, “Boring as hell but pays damn well let me tell you.”
Unlike normal police officers, Yuengling and his squad had white and green accents to their armor. They were among the few trusted to guard the temples, the Breeding Facility and the fertility tests stored in St. Vincent’s hospital.
“You ever think about switching sides?” Yuengling asked.
Davar laughed and shook his head. “If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me that…”
Davar was a bit of an anomaly. At his age and rank most switched to cushy police work instead of running around in the field like a fresh recruit. Spend time relaxing and finding a partner or two to mess around with, but sitting still never sat well with him. He needed an outlet, somewhere he could let off steam and smash a few heads in. He was already getting twitchy with patrol work, he didn’t even want to imagine how bad police work would be.
Yuengling laughed with him until he caught one of his men flirting with a hospital worker and embarrassing her enough she almost dropped a med kit. He scowled and smacked the younger man upside the head.
“Keep it in your pants Ines!”
Davar snorted, ‘Yueng must be getting soft’
The rest of the hospital staff chuckled at Ines expense but continued to work diligently; carefully stacking the crates of bandages, painkillers and fertility kits on the ground. All dressed in bleached suede and green patches for clearance. All except one.
“Hey!” Davar called out, stalking towards the carriage. “You with the patches! What are you doing here?”
The workers looked up startled. The one he shouted at dropped what she was carrying and looked around confused.
“I-do you mean me, sir?” She asked, pointing to herself.
“Yes you.” He said, grabbing her by the wrist.
“Ow! Sir-”
“What are you doing here? You’re not hospital staff.” He started tugging her away from the carriage.
“Sir wait I can explain!” Another woman shouted, grabbing the arm that held her friend.
Davar glared down at her. “Start talking. You’re breaking at least 6 security laws right now.” At this point everyone had stopped working. Yuengling started to walk over but Davar shot him a look that clearly said “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Sir, I’m so sorry, she’s a friend. She works at the tannery downtown and she had a delivery of armor to bring so I offered to pick her up on our way here and she was kind enough to help us unload. Please we didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“Name.” He asked sharply to the woman in his grasp.
“J-Jess Vannar sir.”
“Wash,” he said, not breaking eye-contact with the woman. By this point everyone in hearing range had come over to investigate, including his squad.
“Yes sir.”
“Background check.”
“Checks out sir,” the quartermaster from earlier said, before Wash even made it to the door. “Jess Vannar, 24 years old. Finished an apprenticeship at Ingle’s Tannery instead of trade school in ‘68. Clean record, pays her taxes on time, no disciplinary actions. Been delivering armor for 5 years.”
“Are you vouching for her Corporal?” He asked, turning slowly to the quartermaster. The boy straightened to attention under his gaze but maintained eye-contact.
“Yes sir.”
The hospital workers darted looks between the two nervously. They fidgeted with their tunics. The boy kept his back straight and head high, even as he saw Wash and Hawkins move in a bit closer, hands palming hidden weapons. The security team hung back at a sharp wave from Yuengling. This wasn’t their situation anymore and they wouldn’t interfere. Davar finally let go of the woman and all but tossed her at her friend.
“You’re very lucky Ms. Vannar,” he said, “see to it I don’t catch you with classified resources again.”
“Yessir. Won’t happen again.”